by Christina Wright, MS, ATC

Building new habits can have a profound effect on our personal and professional life. By establishing positive routines and integrating them into our daily lives we can improve our overall well-being, increase our productivity, and boost our confidence! Who doesn’t like a good confidence boost? As we successfully incorporate new habits and see success, no matter how big or small, our self-belief will grow. So how do we go about building new habits? Let’s discuss some tried and tested strategies to help us hack some new habits.

Hack 1: Start Small

Forget the moonshots; when it comes to starting a new habit, hack your brain with micro-goals. For example, let’s say we want to start doing a 15-minute stretch routine everyday (a great goal for an industrial athlete!), start by adding one or two stretches into our daily routine. Once those stretches become a habit we can add a couple more until we reach our total goal. Small wins enhance our motivation and give us the confidence to keep going.

Hack 2: Be Specific

Vague goals lead to vague results. With regard to habits and goals, it can be easy to say things like, “I want to read more,” or “I want to start going to the gym.” Being specific about our new habit will give us actionable direction and measurable outcomes. Instead of, “I want to read more,” set the habit of, “I will read 15-20 pages every day.” Instead of, “I want to start going to the gym,” your goal can be, “I will go to the gym before work four days this week.” Clear targets make for easier habits.

Hack 3: Stack It Up

Habit stacking is a classic hack. Tie new habits to existing routines. By connecting a new habit to an existing one, we create a trigger or cue for our new habit, making it easier to remember. For example, if we want to get in the habit of taking vitamins and supplements in the morning, what else do we do in the morning? How about we keep those vitamins right next to the coffee maker and take them as the morning brew is underway? We know we’re not going to miss that cup of Joe, and now we won’t forget to take our vitamins. Habit stacking for the win!

Hack 4: Track And Reward

Tracking our progress and rewarding ourselves for success are both important and fun steps in building new habits. Try tracking habits and goals with a phone app or with a planner/journal. Let’s be sure to reward ourselves when a new habit sticks and we meet our goals. This gives us continued motivation to build on our habits and allow for more growth.

Let’s be clear, hacking new habits can be a challenge. But with all the grit you honed last month, you’re equipped to outsmart the obstacles. Embrace the process like a pro hacker — with patience, persistence, and a little creativity — and watch as these new habits enhance our productivity, quality of life, and confidence!

Christina Wright, MS, ATC|| Christina is in her 9th year of Athletic Training practice. She is passionate about helping people get over an injury and back to doing what they love to do. She’s excited to help Industrial Athletes prevent injuries, move more efficiently, and get back to work without any aches and pains. In her free time, she loves to read, workout, and spend time outdoors hiking. She’s happiest when she is close to a body of water!

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